Stress-Free Holidays for Pets

The holidays have arrived, and if you are one of the fortunate ones with friends and family that you like to spend time with, the holidays mean parties, dinners, gift exchanges and get-togethers. Whether you will be the host of one of these fetes, or whether you’ll be packing up the family and pet for a cross-town trip to visit family and/or friends, know before you go how you are going to keep everyone calm and comfortable, so that everyone has a good time.

Visiting … Visitors

If you are the “visitee,” you will want to do a little preparation before the guests arrive. Many of us consider our pets to be members of the family, and we enjoy having them with us in as we celebrate good times. But, when our pets are not used to have more than a few people around, they can get overly excited, and things can stop being fun. The jumping, the grabbing food from hands and tables, the barking … all of these things can lead to some embarrassing situations, and can even frighten some guests who are not accustomed to having animals around. In the weeks before the event, take some time to work on your pet’s manners and reinforce obedience training. You might try some small gatherings with some pet friendly people who can help you to reinforce your pet’s manners, so that when the bigger party night comes, your pet will already be prepared.

If, on the other hand, you know that your pet will not be able to hold back his exuberance, set aside a safe room where he can stay for the duration of the event. Make the space comfortable with a bed or rug, water, toys, and maybe some treats. Close this area off to the guests so that you can be sure that your pet, and your guests, are safe. Remember to either tell your guests that your pet should be left alone, tape a sign to the door saying “do not open,” or place a hook and eye lock on the door so that people know that it is not to be opened. The last thing you want is for a very excited pet to dash through the house, and possibly out the door to the outside of the house.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Eternal G.

5:20PM PST on Jan 17, 2012

Ta.

send a green star

Elisabeth T.

6:34AM PST on Jan 2, 2012

Thanks, good article...

Terry F.

11:05AM PST on Jan 1, 2012

http://voices.yahoo.com/our-dog-daisy-saved-abused-dog-10607201.html?cat=53
This is a link to an article I wrote about my dog Daisy and animal rescue

Darla G.

6:55PM PST on Dec 28, 2011

We hosted Christmas at our house this year. All was going well until the dogs got underfoot in the kitchen as the food preparation progressed (both dogs are Labradors and FOOD is their main motivation). I gently removed them from the kitchen and put them in my bedroom and shut the door. As we sat down to eat, I went and got them. They were doing fine - Buddy was snoozing on my bed. The rest of the day was a success.

Laurita W.

9:11PM PST on Dec 27, 2011

Belinda, you might consult an herbalist. I go to Herbs of the World on internet to get calming herbs for my horses and for other pets as needed.

Susan N.

8:02AM PST on Dec 25, 2011

Good post.

jerry c.

12:53AM PST on Dec 25, 2011

good info

Eli K.

11:56PM PST on Dec 24, 2011

:))

Ruth S.

4:50PM PST on Dec 24, 2011

I never had a problem with my animals.

Donna G.

4:20PM PST on Dec 24, 2011

For those whose dogs get anxious during the holidays, have you tried Thundershirts? I've never tried one with my dog as he seems to take things in stride. The shirt exerts gentle continous pressure and helps to soothe dogs. The same premise has been used with some people who have autism.